I’ve tried to make head or tails of the new Citizenship Act, but I cannot for the life of me figure out the truth. All those convinced that it’s wrong or that it’s right, seem to be talking entirely through political sunshades, and are therefore as useful as dehydrated water in helping me make up my mind.

All I know is that it can’t be as horrendous as the Opposition is insisting that it is or, as lucrative as the Government is claiming… but isn’t that always the case on this blessed rock?

The saddest thing about this whole debacle is that it reminds me of our pitiful electoral system, which allows a Government with such a majority of seats in parliament to get away with mostly anything. Even though I still haven’t made up my mind whether this idea is good or a bad, I am really uncomfortable with the fact that the Opposition is not taken seriously and that no one can do anything about it.

So, the Act will most likely go through and my only consolation is that 9 years ago, just before we joined the EU, we were being fed exactly the same fears and worries by the then Opposition. Back then we were being told that with EU membership, every Tom, Dick, Harry, their criminal brothers and their rabies-riddled pets, would essentially become Maltese Citizens and that we’d be inundated with bad bad wolves.

Clearly it hasn’t happened yet, so except for the little fact that two wrongs don’t make a right, and except for the other little fact that nothing has as been proven wrong yet, I can’t see much of a difference (in principle) between opening our borders to all EU citizens vs. what is being proposed today.

On paper, in fact, what is being proposed today sounds less risky, because there are more checks involved. I mean let’s face it, 9 years ago, when we joined the EU, we did not go round checking the criminal records and reputations of the 500 million EU inhabitants for whom we had briskly opened our doors to, whereas this time, at least on paper, we are supposed to.

Speaking of despicable people and the ugly side of the world, yesterday I watched an intriguing, albeit horridly impressive performance about human trafficking.

The single most echoing message that I left the theatre with was that, strangers, immigrants and, unknown criminals, are the least of our problems. Research shows, that human trafficking, especially of the sexual type, is triggered and nurtured by our closest people - our families, the people who are supposed to take care of us and protect us, and not those ‘unsightly’ immigrants whom we are so scared of.

"Innocent Flesh", is a critically acclaimed social drama, written and directed by NAACP Award winner Kenyetta Lethridge. It exposes the stark realities of the sexual exploitation, forced teen prostitution and trafficking of young children around the world. It shows how the words “I love you” coming out of a pimp’s mouth work on children who have not experienced true love at home and feel left alone.

Due to the hidden and illegal nature of human trafficking, statistics on the scale of the problem are difficult to collect, but UNICEF estimates that 1.2 million children are trafficked every year, 80% of which are women and girls, and 50% minors.

‘Innocent Flesh’ is a TACTheatre production and is showing at The Vault Theatre, at The Valletta Waterfront tonight, and next weekend. Founded by Wesley Ellul and Marc Cabourdin, TAC Theatre is the company behind some recent successes ‘Is It Me and When You Hear My Voice.’